Don't I know you?
by Zaerix
Summary: AU. Tifa unusually wakes up in the trash at the slums of Midgar with no memory of how she got there. Desperately, she ends up getting a job at the Honey-Bee where she meets a SOLDIER named Zack. From then on, she discovers the truth about her broken memories and the horrors of their intertwined fates.
1. - Welcome to the Slums -

_Heya! Well this here is my very first fanfiction - just to let you know - and since it's my first any criticism is taken into account. The idea and plotline is quite typical I would say but I just couldn't get it out of my head so I had to do something about and thus this fanfic was born! I'm not really great at writing stories and so I really hope that I my English and grammar are of my best abilities on here. And because I'm such an amateur then I'm guessing no-one will appreciate this story very much and therefore I only wrote two chapters so far, both published, so that my *ahem* (imaginary) readers *ahem* will be able to see if this story is going anywhere. Which I hope it does. So anywaaaaays - here's the first chapter with our beloved hero Zack and our crazy-hot fighter Tifa! - Z_

- Welcome to the Slums -

The air here was dirty. Thick with pollution, to the point where you could almost gag and choke. The alleys were infested with rodents, and roamed by strays - both the homeless and the dogs - but you couldn't really tell the difference between the two. The buildings that stood in what seemed like an endless maze of alleyways and streets didn't look too good either, as each one looked like they would fall apart anytime soon. _To think that there's 8 sectors of slums under the plate… _Tifa thought, squinting at a particular building with bright yellow neon lights which illuminated a large section of the street she was walking by.

_The Honey Bee Inn… _The name and the posters gave what the place was used for straight away. Great, the slums were filled with prostitutes too. Not that there was anything wrong with prostitutes - who knows they might be stuck in some financial crisis with nowhere else to turn to - but the thought of offering yourself to perverse men as your job made Tifa shudder. Her eyes avoided the obscene posters that were peeling off the walls and just continued to stare at the neon sign above her, immersed in her own self-debate.

It was a worth a shot to get a job here. All the other bars and shops didn't accept anymore employees, probably 'cause they had no money left for their own families. And it's not like she wanted to work to give the desperate souls of desperate men what they _desperately want_, but she could totally work as a receptionist or at the bar - if they even have one. Suddenly, she was filled with doubt and worries that this may be her only chance left. She tried hard to remember how she got here in the Midgar slums. For what seemed like weeks from now, Tifa woke up at an alleyway, dumped in a pile of trash. And she couldn't remember how she got there and why. She felt like a baby, cold and helpless, no-one even taking a glance at her.

With a ragged sigh, Tifa looked down at the puddle beneath her boots and noticed her reflection, broken by the ripples that were created by the movement of her feet. God, she looked like a mess, and she really needed a place to eat and stay. She doesn't want to be sleeping rough tonight. Again.

It must be almost evening now, feeling the cold seeping in through her fingertips. You couldn't really tell the time of day under the plates, the sun was always blocked from the plates above, making everyone here seem so pale as they lived in an eternal night - even without the moon. As she rubbed and clasped her hands together to give some warmth to them, she took small and hesitant steps towards the entrance of the Honey Bee Inn.

•~~••~~•

A hypocrite. That's what she is, and she hated herself for it.

"Looking good there Tyla!" She felt utterly uncomfortable and _exposed_ as a tall yet plump man who wore a loose collared t-shirt with a matching annoyingly sequined purple suit, who claimed to be the owner of this damned brothel, didn't even stop himself from taking her appearance in. He disgustingly winked at her as his eyes wandered up and down her body. Don Corneo was his name, and Tifa just wished she was given the chance to punch his face and his ego one of these days.

Her body stayed rigid as she folded her arms over her chest, suddenly feeling the burden of it. "It's Tifa." She muttered under her breath. The clothes she was wearing shouldn't be called 'clothes' anymore. She could be mistaken for a nudist. Or worse… a stripper, what with the ultra short crop top with bee stripes and the ultra short, short shorts along with the matching bee patterns. And what's with the stupid bumblebee antennas? Giving herself a mental slap, it ultimately dawned on Tifa that _that _was what she was exactly going to be for the night. Up until she had enough Gil to get herself up and going - not knowing how long exactly it will take for her to stay. Technically, she didn't take up the job of being a stripper, but a lap-dancer whilst the men cheered to their drinks and whatever men talk about. There's a difference… right?

"Yeah, yeah whatever. Tyla sounds a lot sexier. Just the way our guests like it." Don Corneo motioned with two fingers for her to come over, with a small essence of a delighted smirk playing across his face. He must've noticed her grumbling about the the flimsy pieces of cloth that she wore as he immediately spoke up and said, "Hey - we made a deal remember? If you wanna leave with your Gil right away then you gotta stop worrying about the uniform."

She gave a slightly irritated look while the Don had his back to her as he faced a large door, and finally breathed out, "All right. 5,000 Gil - as you promised."

The Don gave a short but hearty laugh. "I like you! The girl's got guts! Yeah - I'm gonna get profit from you. Tell you what - if I see the men swooning and asking for more from you I'll make it into 10,000."

Tifa's eyes widened momentarily, but then covered up her small moment of shock by raising a single eyebrow at him. 10,000 was more than enough - she wasn't that greedy… But he offered… and she really needed a place to stay...

Let's not regret this Tifa. "Deal." she finally said, a glint of determination and self-respect (which was ironic in some way), shown in her wine eyes.

The Don made a sound of triumph from his throat, turning his head over his shoulder to give her a smug smile. "Well then." He gave the doors in front of him a push, opening it so wide so quickly that there was sudden rush of air blowing past her, accompanied with the blaring of loud techno music filling her ears, which had almost broke her eardrums. There was too much strobe lighting everywhere amongst the deep blue darkness that lit up the room, making it look quite painful and nauseating to look at. There were other women too - dressed in the official and exposed uniform of the Honey Bee, sitting on mens laps, laughing, having a drink, seducing, grinding up and down a pole in the middle of the room on an elevated circular stage, serving drinks, kissing men, kissing their workmates... And the sight made Tifa sick to the stomach. She never imagined herself to be in this type of situation and she didn't want to imagine what her friends and family back home would think if they found out she did this. Filled with regret and second thoughts, she was pondering upon the thought of sprinting her way out of the Honey Bee Inn, not realising that The Don touched her back and gave her a small push as he tried to introduce her to someone.

"Tyla. Elena. Elena. Tyla." The Don grumbled gesturing to both of them as he introduced them both for eachother.

Elena was a really pretty girl, who was wearing the bumblebee uniform too. Tifa studied her for a quick second and noticed how she had quite an awesome pale blonde bobcut, with one side having a longer fringe than the other. But she also noticed how Elena seemed... young... and mostly..._out of place._ Tifa didn't like to judge - but she seemed the woman in front of her seemed too formal for someone like her to work around here, as she held out her hand for Tifa to shake. One last thing that Tifa noticed was that Elena's eyes gave the inpression that she was carefully assesing her too.

"Hi. It's Tifa by the way - not Tyla." She gave Elena an acknowledging smile as she gently shook her hand. The blonde-haired girl in front of her only returned a tight smile, as if she didn't really care about meeting Tifa.

"Whatever - " The Don mused. "- but you girls need to get your asses moving if you both want your Gil!" Tifa moved past Elena to step inside the chaotic room and disturbing room. Feeling a sudden tight grip on her arm making her step back, she turned to look at The Don, seeing a rather frightening expression on his round face. "You want your 10 grand?" Tifa gave a single nod. "Then better make me proud." His grip finally let go of her arm, turning on his heels to leave through the doors they just came from.

Tifa's eyes followed his exit, holding in the swelling frustration inside her. She almost didn't notice Elena was still standing there, continuously studying Tifa as if the girl knew her from somewhere. Because she sure as hell doesn't remember a face like Elena's in her memories. Well... what's left of them anyway.

"So Elena, why don't you show me around?" Tifa began feeling kind of awkward in the moment. She just had no idea what to do. Was she just supposed to bombard a group of men sitting in separate booths and begin to... to what? Talk? Dance in front of them like a lunatic? Teach them a lesson that they had nothing else to do in their lives and so they're just feeding their never-ending satisfied needs in this hole? Which was kind of ironic 'cause she ended up here too.

"This is all there is to see really. All you gotta do is please them - that's what the boss says anyways." Elena moved to Tifa's side and brought her face close to Tifa's ear. "See that guy over there?" Tifa noticed that Elena had a lowly raised finger to a booth close to the right-side of the room. There were quite a few guys in that booth, and didn't really know who Elena was directly pointing at. "The guy with the spiky dark hair and a scar on his jaw." Tifa finally realised who the girl was talking about, easily spotting the unruly spiky hair and a boyishly handsome face - ignoring the fact that Elena saw a scar and Tifa didn't.

"What about him?" Tifa whispered loudly, though she had no idea why she had to, since her voice probably couldn't be heard all the way from that guy's place.

"You should go to him. He's got his eyes all over you - and maybe he could help you get your 10,000 Gil." Tifa whipped her head to face Elena, only seeing a serious look planted on her face.

"Can't you come with me then? I'm pretty new to this sorta thing - and I'm only planning to do it for tonight anyway - at least 'til I get my Gil." She tried to plead as she focused on Elena, frightened to face the group of men alone. It's not that she wouldn't be able to handle them if things escalated quickly - but she doesn't usually flirt. Or rather - intentionally flirt to get what she wanted. And what would they talk about anyway? Would they enjoy learning about the mountains of Nibelheim where she grew up?

"Sorry Tifa, I just got called in by someone else before you came." and with that, Elena turned on her heels, giving her a half-hearted wave as she began walking on the opposite direction. "I'll see ya later, okay?" Tifa heard her calling out through the music and the rest of the noise in the room.

She was about to give a reply, but her attention was caught by a sudden burst of laughter by the booth of men that Elena had just pointed out. Tifa turned her head slowly back to them, looking as if she was scanning the whole club so that she didn't look startled by their laughter - but got startled anyway by the boyishly handsome man with the dark spiky hair who Elena claimed was 'checking Tifa out', and who since God knows when and how, was suddenly by her side giving her a toothy and slightly drunk grin as he rubbed the back of his neck. She let in a sharp inhale by her shock, as she fully turned to face the man in front of her. Sure enough he had a scar on his jaw. But it was too faint to see through the blue lighting, figuring that Elena probably had her carrots as a child seeing how she could notice it from afar. What startled her the most though was that she noticed despite the deep blue light that reflected on his face that he had these sort of... violet/blue eyes that seemed to glow with hints of green. Upon seeing the strangely coloured eyes, Tifa suddenly had a dejà vu moment as they seemed so painstakingly... familiar...

"Hey," he began to speak slowly and quite awkwardly "Sorry if I - uh - freaked you out or anything." his grin slowly faltered into half a smile as he looked down to the ground and back up to her again finding her eyes.

Oh was this guy such a flirt. "No - you didn't. You just startled me that's all." Tifa gave him a warm smile as she unconsciously rested a hand on his arm.

"I feel like I've known you before..." he almost, just almost, inaudibly uttered under a breath. Funny how she thought the same thing. His eyes suddenly unlocked from her own eyes, as they slowly began to descend down her body, Tifa finally realising it was probably some silly pick-up line he uses to get girls to blush like crazy. She didn't know if it was intended for her to hear and so she retracted her resting hand from his arm pulling it to fold her own arms 'protectly' over her chest, leaning on one leg with an amused smile on her face and a slight raise of her eyebrows.

Far ahead from the booth he came from, she heard the harsh and loud whispers of the men he sat with.

_"What did he say? Why did she just looked at him like that?"_

_"Shutup Theo!" hearing a grunt and a rattle of glass bottles "Zack's got eyes on his prize already."_

"_Why can't she come over here? She looks hot as fu-"_

"_Just shutup Theo!"_

Hmph. Zack's his name? Come to think of it - it does ring a bell...

"Is that what you say to all the girls you flirt with?" she made a noise from the back of her throat to show her amusement.

"If it works, whythehellnot?" Tifa noticed that his words were a bit slurred and quick, his drunk yet toothy grin beginning to re-appear on his face. "And I'd rather use it on a beauty like you -" a hiccup escaped from his mouth "Anyways."

He raised an arm and turned to face the same way she was facing to put an arm round her shoulder. She didn't realise he was holding onto a beer bottle by the neck, and raised it towards his friends at the booth. They gave a series of cheering and whooping as they noticed Tifa wasn't tucked under his arm anymore, but instead his hand was softly gripping on her bare waist. "Ahhhh, they're alla bunch of jerks." he whispered to Tifa with a smile as he looked at them straight ahead.

She looked up at him, and he turned his head to look down at hers. "I'm Zack, by the way." he flashed her yet another one of those boisterous smile, making Tifa think that maybe this guy wasn't so bad. He _did _look really handsome.

"I'm Tifa." She responded with one of her smiles.

"Tifa." Zack repeated. "Tifa." he said her name yet again, as if he were playing around with it. As if he were familiar with it, but then realised that he was sorta in a drunken state, until he said:

"So Tifa - wanna get a room?"

And then her mind was going in all different directions now as the words came out of him. She felt scared and angry and used - realising that she agreed to be in this situation anyway, then felt really horrible for being such a hypocrite, yet again. Nevertheless, she didn't plan on getting a room with anyone tonight anyway!

_No! _her head screamed. "Zack I -" she began her eyes going wide and she started to wiggle free from his grip. Interrupted by The Don's gaze who now was in the bar up ahead, he held up both of his hands, fat fingers stretched wide to remind her of the 10,000 Gil they made a deal on.

She stopped herself from protesting anymore by biting her bottom lip and looked up at him and smirked. Very unlike her at all.

"Why the hell not?" and with that - he grinned at her as he started to lead her out of the club and looking down at her he said,

"Come on then, beautiful."

xxx

Tifa had never been alone in a room, dressed up as some promiscuous bumblebee, with a guy before. Anxiety started to creep in because she felt so low... so helpless and _hopeless_. She didn't like how she's become so desperate for money, and she didn't like how she had to turn to this type of service to earn it. What had happened to her?

She's just glad at the moment that Zack hasn't tried anything yet, but she was still wary of him. He's also a pretty open guy, probably 'cause he was drunk, but he also seemed sorta cheerful when he started to talk about his whole life story, as they walked together to the room.

"So as a kid I grew up in Gongaga, and there wasn't much to do in that place so it got kinda boring -" he fumbled with the key as he unlocked the room "- so when I was around thirteen -" he grunted as he used his force to turn the key that was stuck in the keyhole, "I left, leaving my whole life behind to start a new one." With a push of the door, Zack stood at the side to allow Tifa in the room.

To be honest, she expected worse. Instead, the room didn't look too shabby at all - there was a working light, a quite comfortable looking king-sized bed, and thank God there was a bathroom. That way she wouldn't have to use the communal one.

Zack followed her in, hands on hips as he too looked around. "Not so bad, huh." He then made his way to the bed and simply plonked himself down, his arms resting behind his head whilst he kicked off his boots and stretching out his legs. He gave a sigh of pure contentment and Tifa smiled at him for a moment, but he didn't see 'cause his eyes were closed.

"So why did you leave then?" she asked, not sure where to plonk her tired body down too since Zack had already occupied the bed. And she didn't feel comfortable in sharing it with a man she just met.

Zack opened one eye to look at her. "Don't just stand there Teef, get yourself comfortable 'cause you look pretty beat up." He patted the space on the mattress beside him, as she gave him a look. He simply gave a husky laugh as she walked over and sat close next to him but quite close to edge of the bed. "Beat up in a beautiful way." he teased.

Her heart sank as she saw his smile, feeling at ease and at least a lot more safer than she had been in what seemed like forever. She'll have this moment, for sure.

"Oh yeah!" Zack exclaimed, turning on his front to face her. "I left 'cause I wanted to join SOLDIER. All the Shinra troops that often came by in Gongaga always talked about their dreams of being a 1st class SOLDIER. And soon it just... It became mine too." he said with a hint of sadness. Tifa could tell that he missed his family. Just like her.

She missed Nibelheim. She missed seeing the stars at night - and that all went away when one day she suddenly woke up in the trash. Tifa thought about her own dreams she's been having, dreams where she witnessed these two boys in this sea of green and being forced to watch instead of trying to help them. Before she knows it, she drowns in the sea of green too. And usually that dream frightens her because it's like she could taste the sea of green in her mouth.

But there were better dreams too. Dreams of a boy back in her hometown with incredibly spiky blond hair and how she and that boy went up the water well one night and stayed there to look up at the stars. She could never - _would _never forget that boy's name.

_Cloud. Like a name that belongs to the sky._

"What about you Teef?"

"Huh?" breaking away from her thoughts, Tifa started to like the nickname 'Teef'. It was new, yet somehow very familiar.

"Why did you end up here?" Zack tilted his head to the side, resembling a curious puppy.

Tifa couldn't find any other way to say it, because she wasn't really good at storytelling especially when it comes to her own life. "I needed the Gil." she simply said. "I need to find a place to stay once I'm done with this. And get myself some food... and a shower." Then she looked at Zack noticing that there was a sudden familiarity in his violet eyes and felt like she was so sure she's seen them before - not the first time she felt that throughout the night.

"I knew it!" the man in front of her smiled, and at first Tifa wasn't sure whether or not she should be offended. "You don't seem like a girl from around here. To be honest, you seem like you're more into 'kicking ass' than spending a night with a handsome guy like me."

Tifa gave a hearty laugh for the first time in what seemed like a whole lifetime at Zack's joke. But the joke was true, and Tifa wondered if she was so easy to read. If he had been crude and too _dominating _then she would have been more than happy to kick his face. Her laughter began to die down and she noticed that the laughter that escaped from her made everything feel... a lot lighter.

"You know you could crash at my place for a while if you haven't got a place to stay - free of charge." he offered, and Tifa held her breath.

She wondered for a moment. "I can't Zack." she whispered, smiling at him sadly as she stared into his violet eyes.

"Why not?" he asked with a wave of his hand. "I'll take care of you. And plus I've got a spare room in my apartment with a decent bed too. Whaddaya say?"

Tifa felt so torn. Never in her life has she felt so desperate, but yet she couldn't accept it. It's way too much. How could he be so open and so trusting to Tifa when they only met a few hours ago? If he were in her shoes, then he probably wouldn't be. And what if she can't trust him? If she couldn't then she'll just end up back to square one again. But there's something that she noticed in him that she couldn't quite touch upon...

"All right. Okay - but I can't stay for long - it'll be too much to ask, let alone offer." she yawned, and rested her head against the headboard.

She heard Zack chuckle as he began his normal way of teasing. "Knew you'd fall for me."

Even with her eyes closed she felt him smiling at her, feeling glad that that she was with Zack. Feeling safe, as if she'd known him and feeling even more glad that Zack didn't even try to do anything more than talk about his life story, leaving her puzzled. Today was the day of 'first times', she realised as she fell into a deep slumber with no nightmares and no dreams and no worries.


	2. - Unexpected Birthday Present -

~ Unexpected Birthday Present ~

Tifa could almost squeal with happiness as she kept the large manila envelope safe and tucked away along with the rest of her belongings in her battered yet sturdy rucksack. Never thinking she would say this but Tifa was immensely grateful for actually ending up at the Honey Bee and most importantly; meeting Zack.

If she hadn't met him, or to be precise if she hadn't met that girl - Elena - then she would have ended up being scammed. So she has her thanks too. Tifa was suddenly about to turn Don Corneo's office upside down, demanding that she should at least get 5,000 Gil from their agreement. The fat bastard was simply ignoring her making more deals until they began to scream at each other's faces. That is until they both noticed Zack was suddenly leaning against the door asking Tifa if she was alright and if she "needed help with this crook". Upon laying eyes on the young man on the door, The Don suddenly gave a nervous laugh and was finally stuffing an envelope with exactly 10,000 Gil as he'd promised, allowing Tifa to confirm that Zack didn't really look as frightening as The Don supposedly making him out to be.

And so therefore - Tifa felt like as if Zack was her hero and she was the unusually damsel in distress.

With that in mind, as soon as they walked out of the doors of the Honey Bee, Tifa couldn't help herself but suddenly attack Zack by leaping up on him and clamping her arms around his neck to show her deep gratitude.

"Oh my - Thankyouthankyouthankyou - Thank you so much Zack!" She squealed, ignoring the passers by who backed away at the strange sight. Tifa also noticed that her feet were mere inches from the ground, making her feel as light as a feather in Zack's returned embrace, and momentarily wondered about Zack's amazing strength as he still managed to stand up straight despite the added weight.

He laughed softly in her ear as she settled her down and gave her a salute with two fingers as he winked. "What are SOLDIERS for?" he grinned.

"Wait - SOLDIER? You work for Shinra?" Tifa was suddenly curious. There were so many conspiracies about SOLDIER that were always told around the slums, but Tifa took no interest them. And yet - here was a SOLDIER who saved her from her situation.

Zack simply nodded and began to walk down the street. "Didn't you notice? Surely when you fell for me you looked at my eyes?" Tifa rolled her eyes at his cockiness and ignored his statement as she kept up with his large strides.

"They look... Violet. Blue. I don't know, either one - but they had green in them. What's with the green?" She pondered on the stories that she usually overhears about Shinra and their decietful propagandas, about the wellfare of the communities. "People say that SOLDIERS get infused with mako inside them from time to time... to build a strong army for Shinra and - and that they usually do it on the most strongest 1st Class SOLDIERS because they would handle the exposure better."

Zack glanced at Tifa for a second and made a sound is throat. "You've been doing your homework haven't ya?" then he gave an exasparated sigh and rubbed the back of his neck unconsciously. "They speak the truth anyway. Even though most of the people around here in the slums don't really have a soft spot for Shinra."

Zack then turned around a few corners and streets as they both walked side by side, Tifa following suit. The man next to her occasionally made jokes and comments about the smells of the slums that she could barely pick up on anymore since she's gotten used to it.

Tifa continues to wonder about Zack's occupation thinking that she never would have guessed he was in SOLDIER. "You don't seem like a SOLDIER to me..." she muttered.

"Oh yeah? Well you seem like you don't really appreciate being the damsel in distress. I've seen the way you clenched your fists ready to break Corneo's nose back there." he responded quickly.

Tifa ignored his last comment as she continues to speak. "It's just 'cause... you seem more of a - a country boy really." Tifa stumbled to find the right words that she hoped didn't cause any offense to the man who just possibly saved her life. "I've seen the older guys like you back home. They dream of going to Midgar to start a new life or become part of the infantry - but then they end up just as dreams. The lucky few happen to leave, but then you eventually hear that they died or they're coming back 'cause they just couldn't handle the city or the wild outdoors." Tifa clasped her hands together whilst her arms were stretched out as she gave a tiny skip to walk a little further ahead than Zack. " I guess... I guess you're the gifted one 'cause you left home and made your dream come true." _What does that make me? The freak girl who teleports and left home? _No. Tifa wasn't gonna bring herself down. She ended up here for a reason - even though she's all lost of hope and faith - there's a reason why she's suddenly in Midgar.

Zack made a satisfied noise from the back of his throat and shook his head, making Tifa seem embarassed for a moment because she possibly made false and rude assumptions.

"Am I that obvious?" Zack finally said. "But I haven't acheived my dream yet, though. God Tifa - you should earn money as a fortune-teller or something."

Suddenly not feeling so embarassed anymore, she smiled up at him and spoke softly, "So what is your dream then?"

Zack continued to walk but glanced at Tifa as he furrowed his eyebrows for only a second and closed eyes in sentiment.

"To become a hero." he said without hesitation and will with quiet yet full determination.

Tifa then gave a short giggle allowing Zack to burst his violet mako-dosed eyes open to look down at her.

"Well looks like you've achieved it since you're my hero today." she said with a wink, copying his own predictable actions.

And with that, Zack stopped for a moment as he continued to stare at Tifa, eventually finding himself giving her a grin. Then he brushed past her as he took her hand, ushering her to start off a run as she heard the distant noise of a moving train up ahead at the nearest terminal.

"Come on. We gotta catch this train for the the Upper Plate, if you still wanna crash at my place." he said, with the grin still plastered on his face as he glanced behind him to see Tifa's own smile as her hair blew against the wind.

•~~••~~•

"I'm guessing you came across Corneo before." Tifa began as her breath was slightly ragged from the long run that she and Zack just had. She still felt the rush in her blood, feeling the wind against her face for the first time in a long time. Feeling her legs working for the first time in a long time, realising that she probably wasn't in that much of a healthy lifestyle as she used to be. Tifa suddenly picked up that she already had a few of 'first time in a long time' moments with Zack even though they had only met the night before. She didn't understand. Was this a fairytale or something?

"Eh. He's a crook to anyone he comes across by and you just gotta learn how he plays his game." he said without the trace of a ragged breath unlike Tifa, as he gave a wave of a gloved hand.

"But why were you there? And why the hospitality?" the curiosity came out of her mouth without hesitation.

Zack towered over her as they were cramped up in the packed and humid train, feeling a drop of sweat falling down from her forehead, and seeing a slight shine over Zack's bare and toned arms. He simply gave her a look and didn't answer for a few moments.

"I just... I - I really don't know Teef." he admitted with a sigh. "I don't usually go to Corneo's... and I've never actually rented a room to spend the night before. But you - you're kinda familiar. I mean you didn't seem the sort to end up in a place like that and I was just - curious - I guess."

The familiarity puzzled Tifa too, but she didn't ask any more about why Zack felt a sudden urge to help her out.

"So why were you there then?" she started to feel a cramp in her neck from looking up at him for too long.

"I - uh - I got dumped."

"So who's the lucky girl?" a chuckle came out of Tifa from her witty joke, catching Zack's slightly offended look with it, and then trying to clamp her mouth in a straight line. "Go on." she mused.

"Well - I wouldn't say dumped. To be honest I don't really know if she was serious or not but I took her word for it 'cause I know she wouldn't lie. Not to me. And my poor rejected heart couldn't take it and then a couple of friends invited me over to the Honey Bee with them, and so I went since I figured the night was free."

Tifa shot him an 'are you serious' look, allowing Zack to tilt his head ever so slightly at the expression. "So you don't even know if she was serious about breaking up with you and yet you think it's a good idea to bring another woman at your place?"

"Well, she lives with her Mom." he defended.

"Still! What if she wants to come over to take you back and sees that I'm there? You're making it worse for yourself." she argued.

"I wasn't _planning _to keep you a secret," he smirked at the idea. "What do you take me for? But anyways, if she does come back, then I'm pretty sure you'll be the best of friends. She's not the jealous type. I hope."

"I feel so upset that she's burdened with you." she scoffed as she elbowed him lightly on the chest. "But I guess the burden's not so bad seeing as how you helped me get my Gil." Tifa couldn't help but give him such an affectionate smile because she was just very thankful. "I'll make it up to you. I promise."

Tifa knew she wasn't really the best with promises because she tended to forget things - but she rarely remembered making a lot of them either and could only remember a specific part of a promise as a child gazing at the night sky; _'... save me when I'm in a pinch, okay...?' _It's been a long time since then, and she always feared of forgetting the face she once knew.

But yet, she felt she had so much to repay for Zack's strange yet heroic kindness, that she'll repay him... somehow. She then felt quite amused at the fact that it was Zack who saved her in a pinch, and even for that she still felt extremely grateful.

"Oh yeah? How?" Zack challenged as he raised an eyebrow, leaning closer towards Tifa's face.

"I'll make it up as I go along." she admitted with a sigh of defeat, making Zack retract slightly backwards, further away from her face, to laugh.

•~~••~~•

As soon as they arrived in Zack's apartment it was already evening, around 18:45. Tifa felt quite disappointed she missed the sun - but there was always a tomorrow, she thought to re-assure herself.

And particularly as soon as they arrived, Tifa saw the potential for his apartment to become some sort of luxury penthouse if it wasn't for the stacked pile of dirty dishes resting at the sink - thinking it must be gathering dust - and the clothes that lay around everywhere resembled a snake shedding its skin everywhere it goes, along with the heavy smell of something that smelled like sour milk.

To think that even the hotel at Corneo's was more luxurious than this.

Despite Tifa living in the slums for quite some time, she still cleaned up after herself, as everyone should. She almost didn't realise that she had her hands on her hips as she entered the room beginning to study it - as if she was calculating where things should go - until Zack decided to gladly point it out immediately along with apologizing for the 'mess'.

"I guess I know how I can repay you." she breathed.

"Really? How?" Zack chimed as he closed the door behind him. Once he caught Tifa's gaze, he smiled quite innocently when she motioned her hand in a circle around the room.

And so before starting her job with cleaning the place, Zack showed her to the empty room she would be sleeping in and simply placed her rucksack on the bed.

He helped out with the cleaning too, with the aid of Tifa's instructions. She expected to feel an awkwardness in the situation as she gave orders for someone to clean up their own mess after she was given a place to stay - but the feeling didn't even come. Maybe it was 'cause of the feeling of familiarity again.

They managed to get the job done in just a space of more than an hour, and laughed at how Zack looked so exhausted from doing simple housework rather than sprinting like a cheetah for a train.

He also gave her the aid of a fresh new towel, so that she could have a hot and relaxing shower, and once again Tifa couldn't help but feel so content and grateful. Zack said he would be leaving for around half an hour or maybe even more - and so he left the keys with her by the countertop, Tifa unaware if he had left, stood in the shower figuring out the shower system. Once she got the water running and the temperature set to what looked like blazing fire, she realised she felt unphased by the scalding water that hit against her skin, as she has been accustomed to the use of cold water everyday. And she didn't have to use the communal bathrooms! Sheer bliss.

Steam had filled the whole of the bathroom to the point where Tifa was almost unable to see anything. Sticking her hand out through the shower curtain Tifa grabbed for the towel that she hung nearby and dried herself from her newly shampooed hair to her heels.

She made her way out of the bathroom and towards her room where she closed the door behind her, not feeling the need to lock it since she was the only one around.

And for the first time yet again, she was humming while she patted herself dry even more, and without the aid of the towel, she looked for clean underwear and a bra from her rucksack. The tune she was humming was a sad one. Yet she found it amazingly beautiful as she remembered herself playing it on the piano as a child.

Once she got her underwear on, she had a hassle of finding her bra as she rummaged through the depths of her rucksack. And to her dismay, she didn't hear the sound of boots hitting the floor as it approached her room.

The door handle abruptly turned and to her sudden shock and fast reflexes, she grabbed the towel and immediately covered most of it across her bare chest, momentarily thinking that if it was Zack or anyone who burst through the door then -

But it wasn't Zack who opened the door.

And it wasn't just _anyone_ either.

"Hey Zack, wanna go get a drink tonight? It's my birthday after a-"

It was _him_. Blond spikes, blue eyes. The young boy in her dreams - and yet he didn't seem at all young and innocent… but more along the lines of young and masculine and _innocently handsome._

She had thought for a long time until now that the boy in her dreams was _just _a dream - nothing more. She could vaguely even remember the boy going out of town and leaving to chase his own dream. Remembering pieces of it now, her heart clenched from self-pity. _He forgot his promise. _But who cares? They were just kids when they made that promise - and she can't even keep promises herself anyway.

She would've shrieked. She was going to. She was about to. And she was half-naked.

But Tifa's heart suddenly constricted and relaxed continuously and the sudden stop of silence between the two allowed her to hear the blood that rushed near her ears.

"T- Tifa?" his voice faltered for a split second. From shock. Maybe from embarrassment seeing how she was almost naked. And she couldn't blame him. Or from simply seeing her. She didn't know.

And she couldn't help but bore her own eyes in the azure ocean eyes that she kept reminding herself every damned day: it's just a dream. _A childish and hopeless dream..._

She couldn't help but notice the military uniform he wore. Zack taught her which class troops of soldiers wore what uniforms so that he could spot them easily. And all that she could think was, as if she were smiling in her soul rather than her showing it in her actual expression; _So he made it too, huh. _

Only then did she try to say something. Anything. Maybe even a squeak.

But the only word that she thought of to say came out as a squeak anyway, as she felt her throat constrict too, hating how it was just merely seconds that had passed but it felt like aeons as they stood staring in shock at one another.

"... Clou-"

"Yo! Cloud!" her voice was overpowered with Zack's cheerful tone as he finally arrived from where he'd been. "See how clean the place is! It's your birthday today isn't it? Why don't we all go out for a drink? And by 'we' - I mean you, me and this new friend I made back at the Honey Bee. And just to let you know - it's a 'she' and I think she's gonna be stayin'-" Zack stopped dead in his tracks as he grabbed a drink from the fridge and took a first glance at his younger friend who stood like a statue by the doorway of the guest room.

"Hey, that's where she's gonna be sleeping. I offered it to her 'cause it seemed kinda wrong for her to be in Corneo's place." He walked over to Cloud and ruffled his blonde spikes, but Cloud didn't even flinch. "What _are _you looking at, man? She's not gone is she -"

As soon as Zack looked straight ahead and opened the door just a little more, he realised why Cloud was in such a trance.

"Holy..." he began, but realising that the brunette beauty must've felt really uncomfortable, Zack tried to move his eyes away from the sight and stepped forward a bit to reach the door handle as he suddenly pushed Cloud back a few paces, and slammed the door shut as he uttered, "We oughta give her some privacy..."

Whatever trance Cloud seemed to be in -suddenly broke as the door almost hit his nose. Cloud who was almost the same height as Zack, glared at him with such an intensity that it felt like he was burning holes through his eyes. Nevertheless - Zack still didn't understand what he did wrong.

"What?" Zack said, quite annoyed that he was being silently blamed for something he had no intention of, continued to intensify the glare until something changed in his friend's blue eyes. It seemed young, fragile, and shared the same familiarity that Zack felt when he first met Tifa.

And the man before him with furrowed brows and raging mako-blue eyes hissed through gritted teeth, with a gloved hand pointing at the closed door:

"What the hell is _Tifa _doing _here_?"


	3. - Don't leave me -

_A little thank you for the reviews before we begin! Even though 5 reviews sounds a little - well I'll be damned - to me it's a lot to get me motivated. Curiosity kills the cat as they say, and so I got started on the third chapter. In all honesty - I had no clue what was gonna happen in this chapter but I imagined Cloud and Zack having the drink they were supposed to have when it was mentioned in the last chapter. Then it returned to Tifa's reaction, and her feelings got the better of me and the story just completely changed its course. And I'm happy with it. Because now I have a mind-set. So keep 'em reviews coming to gimme a little bit of challenge. _

_And __**jay**__ - yeah I'd like to see Cloud jealous too :) x_

**ON WITH THE STORY!**

~ Don't leave me ~

Unlike back at Corneo's, the music playing in the bar here was a lot more mellow, the place a lot more calm and sophisticated with the loud yet less defeaning buzz of chatter and the clinking of wine glasses. Zack and Cloud didn't live filthy rich, but Zack usually liked to drag Cloud with him to everywhere he goes - especially to the most reknown _socialite _club in the Upper Plate; The Scarlet. It was also a lame yet overly exquisite dedication to the President's son, Rufus Shinra's girlfriend.

There was once a time during Zack's days of being an immature youth, when he would be ecstatic of the idea of coming here for the ladies. But since he was more mature and bound on promise and oath by a girl who he thinks just dumped him - Zack grew out of his high egotistical habits of trying to get a different girl every week that he met here, at The Scarlet. Did we mention that he was bound by promise and oath?

Arms draped over a well-maintained leather settee Zack gave worried glances at his friend who was sitting on the chair in front of him, couldn't help feeling a little bit uncomfortable in Cloud's presence. Drowning out his worries of Cloud looking like he might have a mental breakdown soon, he took a swig of the booze he had by neck, savoring each drop and burn he felt as the alcohol made its way his throat.

"Soooo..." he finally said, smacking his lips. "What was that all about?"

Cloud's present repute resembled a statue; his blue eyes had this far away look even though they were unconsciously wandering around the faces around the room. One tense arm lay on the arm of the chair, fingers drumming freely - a sign something was lingering in his mind.

Well after what just happened back at the apartment - why would something like that _not _linger on his mind?

An unnoticable exhale and many years later, Cloud simply controlled his wandering gaze onto Zack and clenched his jaw.

"None of your business."

"As far as I'm concerned, you were drooling all over my apartment so -" giving Cloud a smug smile, "It _is _my business."

Cloud simply frowned clenching his jaw as he shook his head. "She's just a friend -"

"Oh. Come. On. That's what they all say!"

"Back in Nibelheim." he continued.

"Oh. Now I'm sensing some issues here." Zack's face lit up with a worried amusement but decided not to ponder on the subject any longer before Cloud decides to lash out.

_I'm one to talk. I don't even know if I actually broke up with my girlfriend._

"Consider it as an unexpected birthday present. Heck, you even had a treat of seeing her almost naked." he grinned, feeling slighty envious that he didn't get to stop dead and get distracted by Tifa. _Fair, behave. _He scolded himself for being so unbefitting.

Ignoring Zack's recollection of events, Cloud sighed. "What was she doing at the Honey Bee?" Worry was evidently showing in his eyes.

"It was her first time there. New client, and the guys told me to go up to her and so I did and we got a room." he glanced at Cloud whose eyebrows were now furrowed even more tightly, nose slightly flaring when he exhaled and mouth upturned almost forming a sneer.

"But - nothing happened." Zack quickly added to save himself. "We just talked, I can barely remember about what but I remember that she said she needed money and a place to stay. Then I offered that she can come crash at ours." He ran a hand over his face. "She just didn't seem _right _there." sighing, he admitted the truth for his decisions.

"None of them seem right there." Cloud commented dryly with a single raise of his eyebrow.

"Yeah I know, but it's like I've known her before. Not in the way you probably do - don't give me that look - I don't mean it in that way. Anyways, you're glad I got her out of there." Zack gave an exasperated breath, frustrated that the things he was saying sounded so wrong in Cloud's ears.

"You're right. I should be. I just don't know how to approach her." Cloud wasn't as sociable and a great talker like Zack. Unlike his friend, he had the ability to be silent and observing for as long as he wants to - and seeing Tifa for the first time he feels sort of embarrassed from the memories she might have of him back home. He wasn't exactly the most popular kid in Nibelheim - and he wasn't exactly seen as a favourite in Tifa's father's eyes. Not since the coma she had after taking that fall at the mountains, and coincidentally, when Cloud was trailing behind her once her friends abandoned her - he fell too - escaping with only cuts and bruises - but getting blamed for being a '_wretched boy who loves nothing but causing trouble_'. After the accusations, Cloud began to blame himself as well. Until the day he decided to leave town to make a name for himself; but during that time he wanted it to be only for Tifa.

Zack scoffed, looking away from Cloud. "You just gotta do it. You know how women are."

"Not as well as you. But then again they leave you after a while so maybe you're not the best person to ask for advice." Cloud said in a teasing yet in all deadly seriousness.

Zack returned his gaze to him raising an eyebrow, which Cloud had learnt to recognise that it meant a challenge was brewing in his mind. "But I'm faster when it comes ladies. And I got a head-start too."

Silence fell between them for a moment. Cloud knows Zack was only being his friendly self helping Tifa out but he could not resist the guilt and slight envy that was scratching away at his mind. He failed at a promise. _Her _promise that he willingly let himself into, and seeing her unexpectedly after 7 years, he felt like the little boy he used to be that was beaten down by disapproving parents and teasing children. The familiar feeling of guilt washing over him. He didn't forget about her, his guilt. Not at all.

She was the most kindest and prettiest girl in Nibelheim, and his heart softened at the memory of Tifa peering from the garden fence to see Cloud playing by himself on the patio, days after she had awakened from her coma. Her mouth opened to call for him, but she got startled by the sudden boom of her father's voice telling her to stay away from the Strife boy. Being obedient as she is, Tifa gave a final glance at Cloud lifting a small and frail hand to wave at him, and ran back inside her house.

It's just that… he never really got to receive Tifa's generosity. Her parent's always wanted to keep her inside, especially after her coma. And the boys who she used to play with began to grow with the ideas of normal guys in their early youths and started to _watch _her differently. Her father must've realised that too because he wanted Tifa to stay at home frequently, only giving her the chance to go out to do some tasks. Because of the new rules she had to follow, Cloud was upset by the fact that she didn't get to know him. Except for that night. That night under the stars and the promise she made him keep motivated Cloud to do something more himself, even when she hoped for him to be _her _hero.

"She's not like that." Cloud uttered, his gaze shifting to Zack once again.

Expecting to see a startled and confused look, instead his friend that he considered to be as his own brother, responded with a single nod whilst holding the gaze Cloud had on him. It was a look of an unspoken understanding Zack had returned.

And so with a soft smile Zack finally gave a breath before taking another swig of the bottle. "I know."

•~~••~~•

The silence was making Tifa deaf. She stared at the clock on the wall, watching the hour and minute hand swing simultaneously to midnight. Letting out a breath, Tifa slumped forward from where she was sitting on the couch. She pressed her closed fists to her lips as she rested her elbows on her lap.

She could just leave a note and run off before they come back. Besides, they probably don't want anything to do her anyway. Both the men wouldn't be back for a few hours since Zack said they were going out for a drink. For Cloud's birthday. Great timing, great to ruin his day for him. But -

"Damn! Damn damn damn it all!" through gritted teeth, she slammed one of her fists against her lap ignoring the sore feeling after a few hits. In desperation and fatigue she scrunched up the hair on her scalp until it hurt, to refrain herself from breaking the coffee table in front of her.

The only word could she think of was, 'Why?' Shouldn't reunions be happy and exciting? Shouldn't she be at home in Nibelheim right now? Shouldn't she be thankful of the fact she actually found a decent place to stay - especially at the Upper Plate?

She began to have a headache thinking of all the 'shoulds' in her life and so with her hair still tightly enclosed in her fists, she shut her eyes tight and inhaled sharply when she didn't see darkness.

Instead she was immersed deep in a luminating sea of green. And she could taste it. Feel it seeping through her skin.

Tifa began to panic when she realised she was trying to open her eyes but she kept drowning and drowning as she began to hear blood-curling screams. Through the illuminating sea, she managed to make out faint figures shadowing her vision. The screams continued and her ears began to ache from not being able to cover them.

Until the green was suddenly switched off like a light and she found herself surrounded by an eerie pitch black darkness, the screams ending abruptly on a high-pitch. It was silent for a while… until she heard an echoed whisper through the darkness - feeling a heavy weight spreading throughout her mind… her body...

_Subject Lockhart._

**Lockhart?**

_Tube 00014…_

**It burns. Burns so much. **

…_Regeneration of normal body cells…_

**Please make it stop.**

… _Commencing the insertion of foreign cells.. _

**The voices. Make it stop.**

_...Just another failure… _

**The burning… make it stop too!**

_...Not so weak as we thought Professor?..._

_...Well this one's certainly a fighter - any news of Subject 13?..._

**It's not… so bad… the Burn. It feels good.**

_...A report was sent that Subject 13 is a definitive failure, sir…_

_...That's enough for our beauty here, over dosage will be counter productive..._

**I need it. It hurts without it. Please! **

… **I need **_**more - **_

_Tifa!_

**Zangan? Is it you?**

_Those bastards. What did they do?!_

**The burn… It felt good. Overwhelming.**

_We have to leave. Now. You're not safe here… None of us are…_

… _They'll take it away like the life of the Planet._

**Planet? **

_I will take you to the city. There is someone who could help you._

**But… what about my father? We have to bring him too! The village...**

_We must leave. There is no time to save the others._

… _Please take care of her, she is a valuable student… _

_When she wakes up, she must learn how to fend for herself._

_Hi - the name's Barret. Welcome to 7th Heaven._

_This here's Jessie, Biggs, Wedge. _

_You're one of us now. _

_This here's my girl, Marlene._

_Those lying Shinra bastards._

_Once you come with us tonight, there's no backing out of it._

_Yo! So this chick is the fugitive? She sure can fight._

_Tifa, don't you be doin' anythin' stupid up there._

**I remember - Barret...?**

_Tifa, guess what Daddy got me!_

**A little girl... be careful Marlene...**

_Tifa - hang in there okay?_

**An...angel? Zack? **

_Tifa._

**Another angel...My angel...**

_Save me when I'm in a pinch, okay?_

**Please don't go...**

_I promise._

**... Cloud.**


	4. - I don't need a hero -

_And here we are, chapter 4 - which is slightly longer. Am I overwriting? Or not writing enough? Because I feel like I'm not explaining things thoroughly but I have a large word count :O But anyways this one was more of a challenge to write because I had to think hard of the events that were happening and getting my head around the whole plot (I ended up planning some sort of timeline). But here it is and I'd say it's alright but not quite there yet. :)__** - Z**_

_(And sorry for any typos. Typos make me cringe and I usually miss them when I'm proof-reading 'cause I just whizz pass through the whole chapter.)_

* * *

_Wait, Cloud what are YOU doing here? I'm in the middle of an author's note-_

**_"Alright, everyone, let's mosey."_**

_o_O ..._

* * *

~ I don't need a hero ~

Even though he and Tifa shared little words from their meeting, Cloud still had a racing mind filled with racing thoughts.

Seeing her face after all this years, made his heart drop. Then as he saw her skin covered in droplets of water, long damp dark hair, slender legs and the single piece of cloth that covered her chest - Cloud couldn't help but realise that she's grown into a beautiful and youthful woman. Immediately realising where she was at, was a whole different feeling. Zack and _Tifa_? Why else would Tifa be here anyway? Did she just come here to have a shower, or did something go on between his friend and her that _required _having a shower after? Jealousy weighted Cloud's mind at the thought, despite Zack's reassurances that nothing had occurred between them two.

The midnight air was chilly, making his fingertips slightly numb. Rubbing his hands together, Cloud was too far away in his thoughts to hear what Zack was babbling on about his mission in Wutai, as they made their way back to the apartment building.

"Embrace your dreams... and your honour as SOLDIER."

Hearing Zack utter those words, he snapped his head towards him, wondering why he would suddenly say his mantra.

Zack must've noticed the confused expression that played on his face, and just shrugged, "Angeal used to say it. But it leaves me wondering if it's worth it."

Angeal Hewley once was Zack's tutor. If you didn't ask, you would assume that both of them were father and son.

The thought brought him back to the days when he was just a Shinra grunt, and Zack a 2nd Class Soldier. Angeal died alongside his comrade; the hero SOLDIER Sephiroth by checking up on a faulty mako reactor somewhere on a different continent. Things there didn't really go so well, and so the two heroes who fought many wars died from a Mako leakage. To think that SOLDIERs were insusceptible to it. Their deaths had made them realise how dangerous Mako really is, and he still finds himself shuddering when he would get his fair dosage of Mako transferred in his own blood. After receiving news of their deaths, Zack managed to get a hold of the files to find out where Angeal's final resting place was, only to find that it was marked as _CLASSIFIED - _which Cloud deemed as rather strange.

It frightened him seeing his new friend who was usually a troublemaker and outgoing guy, suddenly change into something that you could compare like broken glass; fragile yet the broken shards could cut you deep. Zack at the time was truly broken. And it wasn't until Cloud became 1st Class that he understood why. To become 1st you had to kill. Which meant many people got hurt - even those who didn't die. It could almost make him retch imagining the dead falling from the sky at the easy slice of his sword - if it wasn't from the adrenaline or even... bloodlust.

Sometimes, both he and Zack wonder if being SOLDIER was ever even worth it. If they even _protected _people, as they once swore they should.

_Do we really have honour? _

It's like Zack had answered his thoughts. "I think that... we have to find our true honour. And we have to prove it… whether it causes more pain or happiness."

Cloud gave a silent grunt in response, lowering his head to see the pavement whizz past his boots as they walked. Moments later they arrived at the apartment, at around ten minutes past midnight.

Cloud set the keys on the counter, a strange feeling beginning to well up inside him.

Zack seemed to have felt it too. He whistled, placing fists on his hips. "Sure is strange in here don't you think? Maybe it's 'cause the place is suddenly like a palace."

Maybe. Cloud stepped into the living room, glancing at the dark rug that lay just in front of couch, the back of the seat obscuring his vision. He sighed, starting to think of ways to make conversation with Tifa tomorrow.

Wait. Dark rug? What dark rug? Since when did they even have one? Sure, when the place was the inside of a trash can you can barely make the furniture out - but Cloud has never seen a dark rug in here before. His eyebrows creased into a curious frown, striding towards the couch, and suddenly switched to a bewildered expression.

"Shit!" Cloud's curse hissed through his teeth.

It wasn't a dark rug at all. Instead it was Tifa lying limp and frail at the bottom of the couch, her hair splayed across the floor like velvet. Her skin was drenched in sweat, and as Cloud lifted her up into his arms he felt her skin was searing hot.

"What what what? What is it!?" Zack came up behind his shoulder, suddenly bursting into the scene.

"Oh Gaia. This girl's a handful." he heard his friend commenting behind him, voice slightly losing its composure.

"Just shut up and get some wet cloth or something. Gods, she's hot." Cloud would never have figured he would be saying that about her in this situation, but she literally _was. _He just hoped Zack wouldn't bring it up later.

Whilst Zack left him with Tifa to get some things to cool her down with, he managed to prop her up on the couch with him, laying her head gently on his lap. He wiped a hand across her forehead to remove the dripping sweat and to get the damp hair around it out of the way.

Even like this... Gods was she beautiful.

He leaned in closely to study her face, feeling the flutter of her steady breath flowing across his face, until Tifa's head suddenly jerked upward, their foreheads colliding. Moving his head backward, he winced at the slight pain as he rubbed his own forehead with his fingertips. But Tifa wasn't done yet. The rest of her body began to jerk, her head tilted upward so that her neck was exposed along with the sight of pulsing veins. She kept shuddering with raspy breaths as Cloud tried to hold her down against his chest, hoping to ease down the pain she was in.

Zack appeared in front of them both as they sat on the couch, Cloud trying to hush her and keeping her steady.

"Here. I got Cure." Zack held out a tiny blue glowing orb in his palm, ignoring where in the world he would've been able to get it. "It's the only chance we got. Keep her down."

Cloud laid her flat against his lap again, gripping her firmly by the arms. He watched as Zack bent over, as he brushed away the hair the was against her chest, and Cloud couldn't help but feel some sort of an uneasiness at the act. But he couldn't be thinking such things right now.

Zack soothed her with hushes as well, with Tifa gritting her teeth and writhing on top of him, as his friend pulled down the top of her shirt a bit to allow the materia to dissolve into her chest.

"Tifa - hang in there okay?" Zack murmured.

He released his hands from her skin, both of the men watching the blue glow that shone through that section of the body. It continued to glow, until Tifa's eyes flew wide open, gasping. She wasn't conscious though. For a split second, Cloud managed to take a glance at her wine coloured eyes and spot light streaks of... green? He didn't know materia could do that. Before he could process what he just saw, the hint of green seemed to retract back into maroon flecks, as her eyes came to a close.

He felt her stop breathing, her body came to a complete halt, though it was still rigid and tense. Glancing up at Zack, he saw a worried glint in his eyes and a clenched jaw as he just stared at Tifa.

Cloud looked down at Tifa again and shook her lightly.

"Tifa." he said in a low voice. Surprisingly it was calm and sort of... commanding. As if he's telling her to come back.

And she exhaled. Both he and Zack did too, as if it was long awaited. Her body falling limp, head turning to face his stomach and muscles relaxing - he could've sworn he made out a name that flew out of her breath.

His could've sworn it was his own.

•~~••~~•

Palms slammed hard against the desk, displacing papers, piles and a little ornament eventually tipping along the edge and shattering into pieces.

"Tell _me. _Tell me how you possibly could've _lost _a grown woman _running across the streets!"_

"Sorry President, but the chick can _fight. _I'd say better than this big guy right here, eh?" the boy who acted like an idiot more than anyone might like, nudged the larger man next to him who acknowledged his defeat with a grunt.

The President shook his head. "You." he pointed towards the girl, the rookie of the group. "You were responsible weren't you? Checking up on that SOLDIER. And you saw the girl too and you didn't even _think _of reporting back immediately to the office!"

The girl just looked away from his eyes. How could she have not realised? Her mouth opened up to speak but her words were eaten away by the calm sound of another voice; her boss.

"Apologies sir, but she doesn't have any access to the classified files-"

"Well then give her the access!" More papers were flying away from the desk. "That _damned _scientist! Always having to clean up his mess." The President pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head as he began to walk out the door.

The tense atmosphere still lingered in the room until one of the men spoke up, balancing on his heels with a baton over his shoulder. He kissed his teeth and rolled his eyes. "This guy. _Cleaning up his mess - _well we clean up the real mess around here while he just sits his lazy a-"

He was interrupted by a slow stride of footsteps and the clearing of a throat. "Aren't you acquaintances with the SOLDIER?"

"Yeah we have a couple of drinks once in a while." a sigh came out of his mouth, indicating how he wanted to get on with what he has to do. "Just say the word, boss."

"Both of you. Go see how he's doing." after urging the men to leave, he turned towards the girl. "Am I to have your trust and loyalty?" he asked, tilting his head.

The girl took a deep breath and gave a firm nod. "Yes."

"Good." a satisfied smirk came across his mouth. "Let's carry on then."

The two men who were meant to leave stood by the door. The larger one had his arms folded over his chest whilst the more mouthy one didn't resist a comment.

"Hey, I wasn't let off that easy!" he gestured towards the girl. "Is there something going on between you two 'cause if there wasn't then the boss would know better than to let you off that-"

"Just shut the fuck up for once, alright Reno?"

•~~••~~•

She felt lighter. Healthier. Warm.

The golden streak of the sun's rays hit the opening of her eyes and slowly she lifted one of them up to find herself watching the dust dancing across the golden trail.

What exactly happened? She didn't know. Then again, she probably would never know anyway. All she remembered was the pain that rushed through her mind rather than her body. Trying to recall what the voices in her was saying, it seems as though she may have lost the chance to know what they have said. Did she manage to get in bed by herself?

Hesitating to move, Tifa forced herself out of the warmth of duvet covers and sat up against the headboard. Realisation came upon her that this was not the room Zack had let her stay in. It was much bigger with a messy desk just across from the bed, dressed in scrunched up papers, open books and sticky notes. As if things like this casually happened to her, she only scowled at the idea of the possibility of her being held captive.

Deciding that sitting in bed wouldn't resolve anything, she swung herself out of the bed and yawned as she stood up. As she took a step forward, Tifa's foot got caught in a pile of covers and clothing beneath her, stumbling over and finally landing almost face first on the floor, if it wasn't for the bedding sprawled there. Tifa wondered if her mind was playing games on her, of she just suddenly discovered she was psychotic when she heard a low grunt coming from the covers.

Circumstances like these had begun to be normal for her. Maybe fate liked to play that way, because for some reason, both of them can't even exchange words to each other like in a _normal _reunion.

The covers were finally drawn away from his face and she met those blue eyes once again, feeling a sudden hitch in her stomach.

By the time sleep-filled eyes landed on her own wide-eyed expression, she squeaked a sorry and pushed her hands lightly away from his chest so that she could sit up next to him from their compromising position.

"Did I hurt you?" She tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear. This is so awkward.

"Nah." Cloud propped himself up on his elbows. "Light as a feather."

She had to roll her eyes at that one, but a smile still played on her lips. She attempted to hide it by biting her lower lip. Obviously he was lying. "You don't hear that every day." she muttered.

The sound of silence stilled between them for a moment before she decided to break it. "Cloud." it seemed funny for her to say it out loud to him. "I - uh - I just want to say thank you."

"For what?" he asked, tilting his head to fully see her face.

For what? Well she didn't really know. The gratitude impulsively came out of her.

"You and Zack. I should thank you for letting me stay here." she finally said, after thinking hard for the words.

A tired nod and slight purse of the lips showed her his approval. He began to get up on his feet and Tifa did the same. She took a glance down at her clothes just realising that she wore an over-sized shirt and over-sized pajamas. Can things get anymore awkward enough? Wondering who changed her to into these clothes - yes - things _can _get more awkward and slightly embarrassing.

The man in front of her must've noticed the expression playing on her face. "It was nothing." he said with a wave of his hand. "They're probably the only comfortable clothes I have. You needed it."

So they were his? "Thank you...again." she murmured, giving him a small smile. "Was I that bad?"

"Well… you sure did scare me and Zack." he eyes never left her, and she felt uneasy because of it.

Great. He's probably thinking of how much she's a burden to them. Maybe she'll say her farewells today.

"Oh! I'm really sorr-" she began, but a hand flew up lightly locking onto her arm. She lifted her head up slightly to look at him, catching the sight of his eyes. The most purest blue with the hints of green. A sign he's been exposed to Mako as part of being a SOLDIER. But the sight of seeing the green in his eyes made her feel... _hungry. _Even then, the contact did more than it should have. Tifa had suddenly and _very inappropriately,_ developed the sudden urge to kiss him. To taste him. His tongue, his skin... What would he taste like? She bet he tasted goo-

_TIFA. What the hell do you think you're thinking?! _A part of her - which was possibly the only part of her mind that had a bit of morality and self-respect - screamed at her desires. She wasn't usually like this. Tifa usually doesn't wake up with erotic images playing in her head. But then again she is alone in a room with a very handsome and hot- _TIFA!_

She looked away from his eyes and instead down onto his lips. Which only made things worse. Her heart started pounding in her chest, somewhat making her feel lightheaded. Maybe it's because of the distinguishable scent on him. It smelled good, fueling her strange hunger even more. _He _smelled good, catching a whiff of some type of musky perfume and the smell of soap, but underneath the surface of the perfume she inhaled something else. Something _more desirable. _Minty but also earthy - in a pleasing way - with traces of something that smelled like... fire and lightning.

"Don't be." He simply stated, hopefully unaware of what he was doing to her. "You should be glad that you were here instead of the streets. Who knows what could have happened to you."

The hand on her arm loosened, and fingertips dragged lightly across her skin, allowing goosebumps to appear on the surface. She bit the inside of her cheek hard, using the pain to distract her from her evil thoughts.

Once Cloud broke contact, the strange hunger that welled up inside her had began to die down. Trying not to make a face, she felt disgusted by her thoughts. She just met the man in God knows how long! She can't be feeling so concupiscent towards him already. She will not tolerate to let herself think of him that way.

Motioning for her to come with him out the door he gave her a half-smile. "Let's get you something for breakfast. To make you feel better."

Breakfast sounds nice. She doesn't remember having a proper breakfast. The thought of food made her hungry in the way that made her stomach rumble - not the lustful and needy hunger. Better to feel this type of hunger than the _other _hunger she just recently felt.

Zack was already up, dancing around the kitchen, as he made some sunny-side ups and pancakes. Tifa took a seat by the counter and watched the man in amusement and fascination. For a grown and good-looking man who has a high ego - she can't help but think that he can have adorable ways.

Cloud however, leaned against the counter with his arms folded, watching Zack in the same amused fascination as Tifa.

"Since when did you get up at 8am?" Zack asked Cloud, with a tone of confusion in his voice.

"The alarm woke me up." Cloud said monotonously. Thank God he didn't bring up Tifa falling down on top of him.

Though Zack didn't seem to believe him anyway. "Uh-huh. Sure." He flipped a pancake as he glanced at Tifa, winking cunningly at her. She lowered her head down a bit so that he wouldn't catch the flush of pink appearing on her cheeks.

Once Zack was done being a chef, he handed all of them a plate of a sunny-side up and 3 stacks of pancakes drizzled with maple syrup. Tifa didn't hesitate digging herself in. It tasted so good.

"I never would have guessed you can cook Zack." she smiled at him, as she watched him take a large bite off a pancake.

"Now that's sexist." he grinned at her playing along with the banter, but it eventually faltered. "How're you doing Teef? You almost gave me heart attack seeing you like that, last night."

"I'm okay, really. Really I am!" she protested as she held Zack's questioning but concerned look.

"We should get you to see a doctor. You never know if it could happen again." he placed a hand on her shoulder, fingertips brushing her skin and her stomach dropped and she felt lightheaded again. Now she was frightened, recognising the feeling of hunger building up inside her. But that didn't stop her from resisting the urge to kiss Zack. Taste him, his tongue, his skin... Just like what she had felt with Cloud. Strangely enough, she managed to pinpoint the same desirable scent of mint, earth, fire and lightning combined, fueling her the hunger she felt earlier on, once more.

What is it with men and her today? It was barely a touch!

Tifa shifted, so that Zack was forced to drop his hand off and away from her skin. The hunger decided to die down again. Strange.

She sighed. "I'd rather not Zack. You two really shouldn't worry about me." she took a glance at Cloud who resumed to eat in silence.

"Well you're here with us now and we gotta look out for each other. Besides. You've got me and Cloud, both handsome SOLDIERs and perfect for bodyguards. And it's free!" he teased, placing his fists on his hips and puffing out his chest a bit more emphasising the strength he held.

She only chuckled in response to Zack's dramatic heart. "I'm not that special to have a bodyguard. Let alone two of them."

"Eh, Tifa, stop speaking nonsense. A real woman would need a hero to protect her. It sounds like something a kid would say - but come on - I bet loads of girls want someone special to save them, right? So, why not have _two _special people?"

But it would be more special if its only one - _the _one, she wanted to argue, cliché as it may seem. She only has ever wanted one, and she waited for so long for him to come back. Tifa took a nervous glance at Cloud.

Their eyes met, and the two held their gaze for more than a second - the look he had on his face reminded her of the night they made their promise. A look of innocence and defiance and a dangerously unknown commitment. As if Zack wasn't in the room, she could almost imagine the stars around them once more. The well back at Nibelheim and the fresh mountain breeze.

But she waited for so long, and she was just so young when that promise had been made. She waited even more, and she decided to take up martial arts just in case. She waited at home, dreaming and dreaming and just _dreaming _as if there was nothing more to life than to just dream. And she hated the wait. And for a moment, even remembered hating the town because she felt like she was holed up in there, while some boy she was waiting for never came back. Even then she still waited, only realising how naïve she must've been.

But yes. She wanted a hero as a girl. There's no denying that she still wants one now.

And so Tifa decided, in just that moment, breaking her gaze away from Cloud's. Hoping not to sound too serious, and bitter towards them both. Because she didn't feel that way, not at all. Though instead she felt she has only learned something she never admitted to herself before.

"I don't need a hero."


End file.
